New Media Age articles from October 2008

New Media Age archives from October 2008

Ad giants back with new act.
October 2, 2008... AOL, Yahoo and Microsoft to relaunch ad platforms as they compete for online display market By Alex Farber Rival online giants AOL, Microsoft Advertising and Yahoo are rolling out their integrated display ad platforms as the big...

Publishers use digital convergence to hold off the fire.
October 2, 2008... Publishing has to date been the media that has moved fastest along the road called convergence. It's a route that leads to fabled riches, but one many media are still struggling to pull off. After a stellar start, publishers are starting to...

ITV trials overlay ad formats across Local site to boost revenues.
October 2, 2008... ITV teams up with Californian startup Keystreams to test video ad format promising higher click-through rates than banners ITV is trialling a new overlay ad format across videos on ITV Local in a bid to boost online ad opportunities. ...

Tiscali overhauls home page to boost ad opportunities.
October 2, 2008... Tiscali hopes its new site will allow it take advantage of its attractive audience demographic and win over advertisers Tiscali is overhauling its home page in a bid to drive ad sales, increase customer acquisitions and improve the user...

Ford launches 3D virtual city to push new-look Fiesta range.
October 2, 2008... Ford has launched a virtual 3D city featuring content from a range of companies including Selfridge's and ITV as part of a major integrated campaign for the new-look Fiesta. The virtual city is represented online at a site called This Is...

European demand for long-form video content grows 100%.
October 2, 2008... The popularity of long-form video content has doubled in the past year, with 18% of European internet users interested in watching content online, compared with 9% in 2007. The study by Jupiter Research of just under 2,500 European...

No such thing as a free lunch... or download.
October 2, 2008... Consumers are now spoilt from too much choice of available content. Note I didn't say good content, although there's more of that than ever before. Video and other content has been liberated from the shackles of complex negotiations,...

HMV celebrates 100th birthday via Get Closer poster ad campaign.(Brief article)
October 2, 2008... HMV has unveiled a user-generated online campaign to drive take-up of Get Closer, its fledgling social media play, as the entertainment retailer celebrates its 100th birthday. HMV has created a site where visitors can create their own 'My...

Publisher DK launches two blogs to push autumn titles.(Dorling Kindersley Holdings PLC)(Brief article)
October 2, 2008... Dorling Kindersley (DK) has launched two blogs to be run by beer and cheese lovers in support of its autumn titles. The book publisher ran an online campaign across social network Facebook targeting users who have the words 'beer' and...

Royal Mail addresses the needs of small businesses.(Brief article)
October 2, 2008... Royal Mail is launching a major two-year campaign encouraging SMEs to go online to register the needs of their business. Royal Mail Growth will be launched with a TV campaign breaking this week, directing SMEs to a site that hosts a...

Walkers brings back old-style snacks after consumer campaign.(Brief article)
October 2, 2008... Walkers has relaunched the website for its Monster Munch crisp range as part of a major brand overhaul. The crisp manufacturer wants the site to become an online destination for fans to engage with the brand and its Monster characters....

FSA appoints Lida to roll out site for Money Guidance service.(Financial Services Authority)(Brief article)
October 2, 2008... The Treasury and Financial Services Authority (FSA) has appointed direct and digital agency Lida to roll out a site for its Money Guidance Pathfinder service. The government-backed service will offer people free, impartial information and...

TV advertisers should enjoy the calm before the PVR storm.(Personal video recorders)
October 2, 2008... Personal video recorders (PVRs) are frequently cited as being the harbinger of impending doom for TV advertising. With the ability to easily record and access countless hours of content and fast-forward through commercial breaks, it's not...

Marketing officers grow online spend to boost efficiency.(Brief article)
October 2, 2008... Chief marketing officers don't believe online delivers the best transparency compared with channels such as TV and print, according to research. A study by Rackspace of 130 marketing decision makers from a range of industries including...

Ann Summers builds campaign site to push new Rampant Rabbit.(Brief article)
October 2, 2008... Ann Summers has built a campaign site and viral campaign in support of its new Rampant Rabbit toy. The My Heart Throb site, produced by digital agency Global Beach, aims to find Britain's sexiest man by asking visitors to nominate and...

Oil company Total first to sponsor the RAC's online route planner.(Brief article)
October 2, 2008... Oil company Total has become the first brand to sponsor the RAC's new Route Planner service. Total's sponsorship of the online planner, which allows drivers to plan their car journey, shows the locations of the company's services along...

Omnifone moves beyond mobile with music service.(Brief article)
October 2, 2008... Subscription music provider Omnifone is to broaden its remit to provide unlimited music for ISPs, MP3-player manufacturers and car makers. Omnifone hopes to provide subscription services for companies such as BMW and Bang & Olufsen as it...

Care challenge for new media brands.(Brief article)
October 2, 2008... Care International, the overseas development agency, is inviting digital brands and agencies to take part in the first new media Care Adventure Challenge. Supported by new media age, the one-day event will take place on 5 September 2009 in...

Jetix overhauls website with new focus on casual gaming.(Brief article)
October 2, 2008... Children's TV channel Jetix is overhauling its UK site to place casual gaming at its heart. The site is the first since Jetix announced a relaunch of its 19 European sites earlier this year. It focused on gameplay and allowing users to...

LETTER: Giving users their due.(Letter to the editor)
October 2, 2008... Pete Ballard, founding partner, Foolproof In a recent edition of nma (12 June) you published a roundtable discussion about digital creativity and how it differs to other media. What struck me reading this interesting exchange was the lack...

LETTER: Showing support.(Letter to the editor)
October 2, 2008... Graham Darracott, MD, Graphico It was with mounting excitement and shaking hands that I opened the new- look new media age. After all, as the purveyor of all things digital and the cornerstone of our industry's gossip, changing the look...

LETTER: In with the new.(Letter to the editor)
October 2, 2008... Oli Christie, creative director, Inbox Just when you thought all trade mags look exactly the same, good old nma breaks the mould and actually designs a fresh-looking magazine. The front cover is a brave departure and it's great to see an...

OPINION: Beyond the last click remains rocky ground for marketers.
October 2, 2008... In February, Microsoft announced it was launching an engagement mapping service to help advertisers understand customer interactions prior to the last click. While the news was covered in nma (28 February), blogs and specialist online news...

AD WATCH: Beck's turns even tone-deaf users into musicians.
October 2, 2008... I know I should be positive. I want to say things that will inspire people to do more, better, work. But I'm really struggling to find things to love about this month's ad selection. Work needs to ooze awesomeness from the first click. ...

PROFILE - KEVIN EYRES: Air of confidence.
October 2, 2008... From enthusiastic user to European MD, Kevin Eyres of LinkedIn is almost evangelical in his belief in the phenomenon of business networks Kevin Eyres is living proof that the product he's plugging actually works. He found his new role as...

DIGITAL MUMS: Great expectations.
October 2, 2008... Brands are realising there's a growing market of mums online as they turn to the immediate response and community support it offers Over the past 12 months a flurry of activity has taken place in the parenting market, as companies begin to...

DIGITAL MUMS: FAMILY VALUES.(Brief article)
October 2, 2008... To build a clear picture of today's digital mum, Discovery Research conducted qualitative research with the online members of Bounty. The survey found them to be in a battle between acting on trends and maintaining traditional family values....

PUBLISHING: Page overload.
October 2, 2008... From static printed pages, publishers have had to get used to dynamic web pages and are now faced with adding in video, audio, RSS feeds and user comments. How can they cope with it all? The row over whether journalists work in print or...

PUBLISHING: MEASURING MOBILE.(Brief article)
October 2, 2008... Measuring mobile audiences is problematic for several reasons. The most fundamental issue comes when publishers choose to go on-portal with a mobile network provider to make their content more discoverable and reassure customers they won't...

PUBLISHING: Give 'em what they want.
October 2, 2008... This week at the seventh annual AOP Digital Publishing Summit, publishers gathered to debate the challenges facing their industry. We asked speakers at the event and other leading voices in the field to give their opinions about how consumers'...

PUBLISHING: Mix and match.
October 2, 2008... Online is rapidly becoming an everyday part of publishers' activities, meaning digital specialists are having to make way for those with experience of all media The past few months alone have seen Associated Newspapers, Bauer, Hearst...

MOVES: Tempero.(appointment of Peta Haigh )(Brief article)
October 2, 2008... Social media management company Tempero has appointed Peta Haigh as account director. She joins from the BBC where she held the role of senior producer for social media within the department of future media & technology. Copyright: Centaur...

MOVES: Golley Slater.(appointment of Tim Orrell )(Brief article)
October 2, 2008... Golley Slater has appointed Tim Orrell as MD of its ad agency in Leeds, as it expands its Yorkshire operation. He joins from Beyond 1, where he was MD. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

MOVES: Numiko.(appointment of Darren Navier)(Brief article)
October 2, 2008... Leeds-based digital agency Numiko has appointed Darren Navier as creative director. He joins from Propaganda, where he held the role of interactive director. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

MOVES: Say Cheese UK.(appointment of Kate Roche )(Brief article)
October 2, 2008... Event photo service Say Cheese UK has appointed Kate Roche as business director. She was previously new business director at experiential agency iD, the UK partner that's working with Say Cheese International to launch the service in the UK....

MOVES: e-Dialog.(appointment of Luke Griffiths )(Brief article)
October 2, 2008... Email marketing services company e-Dialog has appointed Luke Griffiths as account director. Griffiths was previously head of ecommerce at RCI Europe. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

MOVES: LakeStar Media.(appointment of Neil McKay at LakeStar Media )(Brief article)
October 2, 2008... Digital marketing agency LakeStar Media has appointed Neil McKay as chief operating officer. He joins from Bigmouthmedia where he was group commercial officer. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

MOVES: Qype.(appointment of Sophie MacLaren and Emily van Lierop)(Brief article)
October 2, 2008... Local review site Qype has appointed Sophie MacLaren and Emily van Lierop to the new positions of UK marketing director and marketing manager. MacLaren joins Qype from her role as head of lifestyle marketing for Lastminute.com while Van Lierop...

MOVES: Harvest Digital.(appointment of David Bowen at Harvest Digital )(Brief article)
October 2, 2008... Online marketing agency Harvest Digital has hired David Bowen to manage new business. He joins from TradeDoubler where he was responsible for selling Searchware and Dialog telephone tracking technology. Copyright: Centaur Communications...

SITE INSPECTION: Green's Cakes.(Website overview)(Brief article)
October 2, 2008... Greenscakes.co.uk Owner Green's Agency Proteus Virtual Content 15/25 Usability 20/25 Branding 20/25 Monetisation 15/25 Total 70/100 Aiming to make baking 'simple, fun and...

SITE INSPECTION: The X Factor.(Website overview)(Brief article)
October 2, 2008... http://xfactor.itv.com Owner Fremantle Media Agency in-house Content 15/25 Usability 16/25 Branding 18/25 Monetisation 20/25 Total 69/100 Fremantle's hit show The X Factor...

FULFILMENT: instantbrita.co.uk.(Website overview)(Brief article)
October 2, 2008... Selection A selection of water-filter jugs, tabletop chillers, kettles and taps from the water-filtering company. Navigation This doesn't look like a consumer-facing site and I wasn't sure straight away if you could shop on it....

Copycat warning over alternative reality games.
October 9, 2008... Despite a wave of enthusiasm for ARGs, brands must consider their audience before following the trend Brands are being warned against rashly adopting alternate reality games (ARGs) as their use as immersive brand experiences takes off. ...

BREAKING NEWS: Disney uses Kontraband to push PS3 game Pure.(Disney Interactive Studios partnership with Kontraband)(Brief article)
October 9, 2008... Disney Interactive Studios has partnered with Kontraband to promote the launch of its latest extreme sports PlayStation game Pure. Kontraband is promoting Pure across its site, has created a dedicated channel and is running viral activity...

BREAKING NEWS: ESPN signs five-year deal with Myvideorights.(Brief article)
October 9, 2008... Global sports broadcaster ESPN International has signed a five-year deal with Myvideorights to distribute ESPN's archive of sport to digital publishers. ESPN's catalogue will be available on mobile, IPTV and online. Copyright: Centaur...

Paramount pushes Scrubs Moments via Facebook ads.(Brief article)
October 9, 2008... Paramount is the first broadcaster to sign up to Facebook's Engagement Ads platform to push Scrubs to 500,000 fans Paramount Comedy has become the first UK broadcaster to use Facebook's Engagement Ads platform, for its first social media...

US interactive industry takes lead from UK to set up ad network body.
October 9, 2008... Despite teething problems over here, the US is in talks to launch an IASH-like organisation to monitor the US ad industry The US Internet Advertising Bureau is to follow in the UK's footsteps to create an IASH-style trade body to help...

Sony BMG first to experiment with Platform-A to promote Oasis album.
October 9, 2008... Sony BMG has become the first advertiser to take full advantage of AOL's newly unveiled Platform-A network, to support the release of Oasis's latest album. Dig Out Your Soul, which was released earlier this week on Sony BMG subsidiary...

Semantic search will provide boost for brand revenues.
October 9, 2008... Semantic search services could provide a significant boost to brands' paid search revenues in the UK, according to specialists. The paid search industry - worth #981m in the first six months of this year, according to the latest IAB...

NEWS: ask.com.(Brief article)
October 9, 2008... Ask.com, the search engine owned by IAC, is introducing technology that promises increased relevance through the implementation of semantic search. The three new technologies - Direct Answers from Search, Direct Answers from Databases...

Nokia puts users on the map with Vine campaign.(Brief article)
October 9, 2008... Location-based cross-platform promotion allows users to tag and share music, images and videos from their worldwide trips Nokia has rolled out a major location-based cross-platform campaign as it ramps up promotion of its Nseries...

Matthew Kirk leaves Orange in major reshuffle.(Matthew Kirk left from Orange PLC)(Brief article)
October 9, 2008... Matthew Kirk, director of portals for Orange, has left the company after a restructuring of its online business. Kirk has been with the company in various roles since 2002. His role will now be split into separate commercial and editorial...

Penguin reveals site for Spot the Dog to tap into new audience.(Brief article)
October 9, 2008... Penguin has unveiled a site for iconic children's brand Spot the Dog as it looks to engage a new generation of pre-schoolers. Funwithspot.com will present the books in digital form, allowing children to search for Spot as they would with...

Fox calls for pitch to build up roster of digital agencies.(Brief article)
October 9, 2008... Twentieth Century Fox has called a pitch for agencies to join its digital creative and publicity agency roster across upcoming films including Marley & Me, starring Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson. The News Corporation-owned film studio...

High-street travel agents are losing out to their online rivals.(Survey)
October 9, 2008... Foolproof's Online Shopping Survey into the travel industry found that the well-known travel brands' high street outlets are losing out as shoppers go to dedicated online travel sites to book their holidays and short breaks. In its...

Registration is the biggest obstacle to online shopping.(Brief article)
October 9, 2008... Some 34% of online merchants believe bad experiences with online shopping is holding back the market, according to research by PayPal. The study by online research firm Zoomerang of 259 online brands including Monsoon, Superdrug and Wickes...

Family Guy trials elastic ad format on The Sun site.(Brief article)
October 9, 2008... Twentieth Century Fox is to become the first advertiser to use a new ad format on The Sun site, to support the launch of Family Guy DVDs. The hit animated comedy series is kicking off a four-week run of activity from 12 October promoting...

Ogilvy creates lab for digital innovation.(Brief article)
October 9, 2008... Ogilvy has established a Digital Innovation Lab to nurture creative thinking and develop innovative projects at the ad agency. The London Lab has been equipped with a range of futuristic technology including 3D holograms, 360-degree TVs,...

Thomson braces brand via search.(Brief article)
October 9, 2008... Thomson Worldwide is to ramp up its search activity to build brand identity and reassure consumers following the recent collapse of XL and Alitalia. The TUI-owned luxury holiday brand has consolidated its search account into The Search...

LBi eyes top spot as it takes on senior staff.(Brief article)
October 9, 2008... LBi has made a raft of senior appointments, including Publicis Modem's Tom Poyntor and Glue's Laura Bambach, as it looks to become the UK's biggest digital agency. Poyntor, the former joint-MD of Publicis Modem, joins next month in the...

Metro signs up to new dating partnership.(Brief article)
October 9, 2008... Free morning newspaper Metro is promoting its dating site as it forms a partnership with LoopyLove. Metro is using a white-label service from dating provider LoopyLove, which is also owned by Associated Northcliffe Digital. Previously...

LETTER: Swapping agencies may not bring new ideas.(Letter to the editor)
October 9, 2008... Matt O'Brien, MD, Cheeze Only 12-18 months ago, recruitment in digital was the topic du jour, as agencies struggled to recruit to support their growing businesses. Now we're starting to see people being laid off, predominantly through...

LETTER: Don't take users away from what they're doing.(Letter to the editor)
October 9, 2008... Chris Autry, CEO, Tailgate Technologies Video overlays certainly have the potential for "better click-through rates than standard banners" ('ITV trials overlay ad formats across Local site to boost revenues', nma.co.uk 1 October). But...

LETTER: Luxury brands should target key advocates.(Letter to the editor)
October 9, 2008... James Turnbull, director, Contented Bigger luxury brands may be struggling online (Vertical Focus, nma 18 September) but the experience of smaller, nimbler brands in using interactive, highly focused digital channels is showing the way....

OPINION: Mash-ups give new access to data but require the same care.
October 9, 2008... Mash-ups are one of the fastest growing types of application on the internet and exemplify the information-sharing ethos of Web 2.0. The reasons behind the growth of mash-ups are clear. They're easy to develop, relatively cheap and bring...

PROFILE - MATTHEW WOOD: Opportunity knocks.
October 9, 2008... Entering the affiliate industry at ground level, Matthew Wood - founder of the affiliates4u forum and a4uexpo - is keen to exploit this fast- growing and constantly evolving industry Early in his career Matthew Wood worked for British...

ALTERNATE REALITY GAMES: Following the scent.
October 9, 2008... Alternate reality games can engage consumers with a brand in a truly interactive way. But that doesn't mean they're right for everyone Alternate reality games (ARGs) have been around since 2001, when a game called The Beast was created...

ALTERNATE REALITY GAMES: Giving Hope.(Brief article)
October 9, 2008... Last month the British Red Cross launched its first ever charity ARG, called Traces of Hope. Set in Northern Uganda, the game combines storytelling, detective work, technology and treasure-hunt-style gameplay. The aim is for players to reunite...

NMA MOBILE: Gaining access.
October 9, 2008... As operators have moved to become mobile broadband and fixed-line ISPs, they're now taking on the portals The explosive growth of both mobile broadband and fixed-line connectivity offered by operators is starting to open up a whole new...

NMA MOBILE: VODAFONE OFFERS ACCESS VIA DELL MINI PC.(Brief article)
October 9, 2008... This month Vodafone will begin offering a version of Dell's Inspiron Mini laptop with built-in mobile broadband. Vodafone claims the device is the next step in the evolution of broadband in an move that highlights a new battleground for...

NMA MOBILE: Use the mum test to clear clutter from your mobile.
October 9, 2008... At? What If!, we like to get away from jargon by putting explanations to the 'mum test'. In other words, if I said this to my mother, would she understand what I'm talking about? I'd like to make a formal petition for a global mobile...

NMA MOBILE: MySpace mobile site could do more to help you stay in touch.
October 9, 2008... MySpace m.myspace.com Agency in-house MySpace recently launched its localised mobile pages across all EU countries. With these, it's trying to drive social mobile media to become more personal, portable and collaborative. ...

NMA MOBILE: Spreading out.
October 9, 2008... 3 is moving beyond its roots as an operator and content provider to encompass all forms of online communication Quietly over the past few months, 3 has shifted its focus from being a mobile media operator to become an internet...

AFFILIATE MARKETING: Balancing act.
October 9, 2008... For advertisers, allowing affiliates to bid on their branded terms has always been a tricky balance between reach and cost The issue of brand-name bidding is never far from affiliate marketing and continually generates reams of heated...

AFFILIATE MARKETING: CASE STUDY - Books Direct gets closer.(Brief article)
October 9, 2008... Working closely with affiliates is key to success in ensuring those relationships are fruitful for all parties. In a bid to address the ongoing dilemma of fair rewards for affiliates, online book retailer Books Direct introduced a unique...

AFFILIATE MARKETING: Out of time?
October 9, 2008... Are affiliate networks' days numbered as advertisers start to manage affiliates themselves and media agencies launch their own networks? In March this year, Ebay joined Amazon in becoming one of only a few major brands that handle their...

AFFILIATE MARKETING: Hands off.
October 9, 2008... Lifting dynamic data from vendors' sites is standard practice in affiliate marketing. As some begin to penalise such screen scraping, how will affiliates keep their sites up to date? When Ryanair announced it would cancel passenger...

MOVES: Inferno.(appointment of Tom Milns )(Brief article)
October 9, 2008... Creative through-the-line agency Inferno is boosting its digital team with the appointment of Tom Milns as head of digital, Michael Cochrane as senior digital designer, Alex Harrold as digital producer and Spencer Beckford as digital creative...

MOVES: Lightstone.(appointment of Ming Liu )(Brief article)
October 9, 2008... Web agency Lightstone has hired Ming Liu as senior account manager within its client services team. She joins from Budget Insurance where she was internet account manager. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

MOVES: Milton Bayer.(appointment of Heather Patterson )(Brief article)
October 9, 2008... Integrated marketing agency Milton Bayer has appointed Heather Patterson as production executive to its digital team. She joins from holiday resort marketing specialist TSS Marketing where she was project manager. Copyright: Centaur...

MOVES: Holler.(appointment of Sam Crompton )(Brief article)
October 9, 2008... Digital agency Holler has appointed Sam Crompton as a media planner. He was previously associate partner at The Youth Conspiracy working with McDonald's, Nestle and O2. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

MOVES: Haygarth.(appointment of Simon England at Haygarth Group)(Brief article)
October 9, 2008... Integrated marketing agency Haygarth has hired Simon England as account director within the promotional marketing division. He has spent the past year as a freelance account director working on clients such as O2, Prudential and the BBC. ...

MOVES: R/GA.(appointment of Luane Kohnke )(Brief article)
October 9, 2008... Full service digital agency R/GA has promoted Luane Kohnke to senior VP and MD of analytics and accountability. She joined R/GA in May 2007 as MD of data intelligence. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

MOVES: Online Media Group.(appointment of Caroline Bridges at Online Media Group )(Brief article)
October 9, 2008... Internet marketing agency Online Media Group has hired Caroline Bridges as client services director. She joins from the Aviva Group where she held strategic marketing roles at Norwich Union and RAC, including head of marketing strategy,...